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Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §19.6.1-19.6.3

Return of the Ambassadors and the Vote for War

Passage 933 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Upon the return of the ambassadors, the Roman Senate debated the timing of the war against Tarentum, and despite arguments for postponement due to other hostile nations, the proposal for immediate war was passed and ratified by the assembly.

§19.6.1ἄρτι δʼ Αἰμιλίου Βαρβόλα ἐπίκλησιν τὴν ἀρχὴν παρειληφότος παρῆσαν οἱ σὺν τῷ Ποστομίῳ πεμφθέντες εἰς τὸν Τάραντα πρές2βεις, ἀπόκρισιν μὲν οὐδεμίαν φέροντες, τὰς δὲ ὕβρεις ἃς ἦσαν ὑβρισμένοι πρὸς αὐτῶν διεξιόντες, καὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα τοῦ Ποστομίου πίστιν τῶν λόγων παρεχόμενοι.
Just when Aemilius, surnamed Barbula, had taken over the office of consul, the ambassadors who had been sent with Postumius to Tarentum arrived, bringing no reply, but recounting the outrages they had suffered from them, and presenting the garment of Postumius as proof of their words.
ἀγανακτήσεως δὲ μεγάλης ἐξ ἁπάντων γενομένης συναγαγόντες τὴν βουλὴν οἱ περὶ τὸν Αἰμίλιον ὕπατοι τί χρὴ πράττειν ἐσκόπουν, ἕωθεν ἀρξάμενοι μέχρι δύσεως ἡλίου· καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐποίησαν ἐφʼ ἡμέρας συχνάς.
When great indignation arose among all, the consuls around Aemilius, having convoked the senate, deliberated on what ought to be done, beginning from dawn until the setting of the sun; and they did this for several days.
§19.6.2ἦν δʼ ἡ ζήτησις οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ λελύσθαι τὰς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης ὁμολογίας ὑπὸ τῶν Ταραντίνων, — τοῦτο γὰρ ἅπαντες ὡμολόγουν — ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ τοῦ χρόνου τῆς ἀποσταλησομένης ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς στρατιᾶς.
And the inquiry was not whether the treaty of peace had been broken by the Tarentines—for this everyone agreed upon—but concerning the time of the army to be sent against them.
ἦσαν γάρ τινες οἱ παραινοῦντες μήπω τοῦτον ἀναλαμβάνειν τὸν πόλεμον, ἕως Λευκανοί τʼ ἀφεστήκασι καὶ Βρέττιοι καὶ τῶν Σαυνιτῶν πολὺ καὶ φιλοπόλεμον ἔθνος, καὶ Τυρρηνία παρʼ αὐταῖς οὖσα ταῖς θύραις ἔτι ἀχείρωτος ἦν, ἀλλʼ ὅταν ὑποχείρια γένηται τάδε τὰ ἔθνη, μάλιστα μὲν ἅπαντα, εἰ δὲ μή γε, τὰ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς καὶ πλησίον τοῦ Τάραντος κείμενα.
For there were some who advised not to undertake this war yet, as long as the Lucanians and the Brettii and a large and warlike nation of the Samnites were in revolt, and Etruria, which was at their very gates, was still unsubdued; but rather when these nations should be brought under subjection, preferably all of them, but if not, at least those lying towards the east and near Tarentum.
§19.6.3τοῖς δὲ τἀναντία τούτοις ἐφαίνετο συμφέρειν μηδὲ τὸν ἐλάχιστον χρόνον ἀναμένειν, ἀλλʼ ἐπιψηφίζειν τὸν πόλεμον ἤδη.
But to others the contrary to these courses seemed to be advantageous, namely, not to wait even the slightest time, but to vote for the war immediately.
καὶ ἐπεὶ τὰς γνώμας ἔδει διαριθμεῖσθαι, πλείους ἐφάνησαν οὗτοι τῶν ἀναβάλλεσθαι τὸν πόλεμον εἰς ἑτέρους καιροὺς παραινούντων· καὶ ὁ δῆμος ἐπεκύρωσε τὰ δόξαντα τῇ βουλῇ.
And when it was necessary to count the opinions, these appeared to be more numerous than those advising to postpone the war to other times; and the people ratified the decisions of the senate.

Notes

  1. 17.9Αἰμιλίου Βαρβόλα ἐπίκλησιν τὴν ἀρχὴν παρειληφότος — Genitive absolute construction. The accusative noun `ἐπίκλησιν` ("by surname") is used adverbially here to modify or explain the naming relationship with the proper noun in the genitive, `Βαρβόλα`.
  2. 17.9τὰς δὲ ὕβρεις ἃς ἦσαν ὑβρισμένοι — A periphrastic pluperfect passive of `ὑβρίζω`. The relative pronoun `ἃς` (with `ὕβρεις` as its antecedent) acts as a cognate accusative or retains the accusative of the thing from the active double accusative construction ("to inflict [acc. of thing] on [acc. of person]") even in the passive voice.
  3. 10ἕως Λευκανοί τʼ ἀφεστήκασι... καὶ Τυρρηνία... ἔτι ἀχείρωτος ἦν — A clause introduced by the conjunction `ἕως` ("as long as"). By coordinating the perfect `ἀφεστήκασι` ("are in revolt", indicating a state resulting from completed action) and the imperfect `ἦν` ("was [still unsubdued]"), it collectively describes the ongoing hostile situation in Italy.
  4. 10πλείους ἐφάνησαν οὗτοι τῶν... παραινούντων — A comparative construction using `πλείους` ("more"). The genitive phrase `τῶν... παραινούντων` ("of those who advised...") acts as a genitive of comparison, forming the core structure: "these [who favored immediate war] appeared more numerous than those who advised [postponement]..."

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §19.6.1-19.6.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:19.6.1-19.6.3

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